Latvia’s Russophone Dilemma: The Correlation Between Language Ideology and Populism In Post-Soviet Latvia
Date
2025-05
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In the last decade, Europe has witnessed a significant rise of populist parties, a trend
mirrored globally with the re-election of Donald Trump in the United States. This thesis
examines the reasons behind the success of these populist movements, focusing on the interplay
between language ideologies, populism, and democratic state-building specifically in post-Soviet
Latvia. It explores how the legacies of Russian-language occupation contribute to present-day
societal tensions between the Russophone minority and the “ethnic Latvian” majority,
reinforcing the success of Latvian populist parties. Drawing on Jan Werner Muller’s theories on
populism, the study argues that Latvian language policies contribute greatly to the
marginalization of the Russophone population, ultimately resulting in moralized anti-pluralism
that erodes Latvian democracy. The research finds a positive correlation between heightened
sociolinguistic tension and increased support for populist parties like National Alliance
(Nacionālā apvienība) and Latvia First (Latvija pirmajā vietā). This thesis explores the tension
between the ethnic-Latvian and Russophone populations that has heightened within the context
of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Rather than sympathizing with or excusing in any capacity
the current actions of the Russian government, this thesis offers possible explanations for the
infiltration of Latvian’s democracy by populist actors that capitalize on a powerful
sociolinguistic division present in Latvian society that was formed out of remnants of its colonial
past and has re-emerged in light of the current regional conflict.